More than one million mummies have been found in an ancient cemetery in Egypt south of Cairo, according to estimations by Brigham Young University archaeologists.
The BYU Egypt Excavation Project made the discovery at the Fag el-Gamous cemetery, which researchers believe was established in the early era of the Roman Empire when its rule reached down to Egypt,
according to KSL.com.
Kerry Muhlestein told KSL.com that the cemetery appeared to be a resting place for average people in Egypt. Muhlestein said his archaeologists usually find 40 burials in a square that is roughly two meters deep.
Muhlestein disclosed the latest discoveries from the site at the Scholars Colloquim at the Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities in November,
according to London's Daily Mail.
"The cemetery is very large, and so far seems to maintain that kind of burial density throughout," Muhlestein told KSL.com. "Thus the math suggests that there are over a million mummies in the cemetery."
BYU researchers believe the current excavation site is the location of the small Seila pyramid, possibly the second or third pyramid ever constructed in Egypt. That pyramid was ordered by the first king of the fourth dynasty Snerfu, BYU researchers told KSL.com.
"Part of the reason for this concentration on excavating the cemetery is that it has been under the threat of agricultural incursion, meaning that the local farmers continue to expand their cultivable area, and the fields are coming close to overtaking the ancient cemetery," said Muhlestein. "We have wanted to excavate there before the opportunity was lost."
The Fag el-Gamous site was discovered almost 30 years ago, but archaeologists are still trying to uncover its mysteries and what do they all mean, noted the Daily Mail. Archaeologists said they recently found the mummified remains of a little girl, possibly 18 months old with two bracelets on each of her arms.
Muhlestein said one mummy appeared to be over seven feett tall and had to be folded in half in order to fit into the burial shaft.
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